Flying machine



F. D. SHEPHERD.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1919.

1A8l,69& Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

F. D. SHEPHERD.

FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1919.

Patented Oat. W, 19221.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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FRANK I). SHEPHERD, 0F AURQRA, ILLINOIS.

v FLYING MACHINE.

Apphcatimi filed November 18, 1919. Serial No. 338,860;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK D. Srrnrrrnnp, of Aurora, Illinois, have lnvented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying Machines, and do hereby declare that the appended claims;

Referring to the annexed drawings in which I illustrate my lnvention as embodied in an a1rplane:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an airplane embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a front end view.

In. the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, the fuselage 10 is-of a size to hold several passengers and contain the motor or motors, as usual. The motor drives a suitable propeller 11.

Above and below the fuselage are two fixed planes 12 and 13, respectively. The upper plane has at each side a vertically movable or flexibly supported balancing or leveling aileron or tip 1 1, the hinge or joint 15 extending crosswise of the airplane, and the tip being tapering in form, with its greatest width at its outer end. Said tip is situated in a notch. cut in. the main. plane, and by reason of the taper form of the tip, with the narrowest end inward, the main plane does not require to be cut away to the extent that a rectangular form of tip would require, and thus weakening the main plane at a critical. point is avoided. The tapered tip can have the form and arrangement shown in either Figs. 1 or 5. The taper form gives more area, and exerts a greater leverage than a rectangular form does. Suitable operating mechanism is provided to raise and lower the tips.

In a position corresponding to that of the breast of a bird, I project forwardly from mechanism.

the central part of the upper plane 12, a plane 16 that is hinged at its rear end to said stationary plane 12 and is somewhat tapering forwardly, and it may be moved up and down at will, by suitable lever When raised from its horizon tal, neutral position, said breast plane serves as a booster, on leavingthe ground, or to secure a quick ascent to ahigherelevation when flying, and it also useful in landing, by checking too quick a descent and violent contact with the earth. A very important use of it is to prevent or stop a nose dive when the airplane encounters an air pocket, and it makes for smooth riding through small air pockets, in that it extends the area or expanse of supporting surface.

Although I show said breast plane as tapered, and rounded at its front end, it need not be either tapered or rounded.

The ends of the main plane can be square or rounded; and said plane maybe made in one piece, or in several sections, as may be found most desirable or convenient, taking its size into account.

At the rear or tail of the plane, I mount at each side of the fuselage a central, horizontal tail planeli, just forward of the steering rudder 18 which swings laterally on a vertical. axis 19. At each side of said rudder, the tail plane has hinged, at

its rearedge. on a horizontal axis 20, a horizontal rudder 21. and said axis 20, preferably,as in Fig. 1, extends obliquely forward and outward, the two horizontal rudders 21 thus diverging forward from each other. By this oblique arrangement of the horizontal rudders 21, the room or space for the swing of the vertical rudder is enlarged and its amplitude of swing is very great. Another important advai'itageof the oblique arrangement of the horizontal, rudders that when either up or down, they extend fore and aft also. and thus, by the opposing lateral support they afford on the body or stream of air passing between. them, they give a steady and powerful reaction and assure a smooth non-jerky motion. Their obliquity is also useful to break up a tail spin, as in a nose dive, because they pres ent a surface that is inclined to the axis of rotation of the plane in a nose dive. In such a case, that is, to break up a tail spin, one or both of the rudders 21 are tilted. The effect is to cause a flow of air oblique independently of one another.

to the axis of rotation of the plane. \Vhen both are tilted, if they are tilted in opposite directions the retarding effect doubled. The rudders 21 are used to direct the plane up or down, for when tipped up they cause the nose of the craft to lift, and when swung down, they cause the tail. to lift and the nose to drop.

The ailerons, Whatever their form, I prefer to mount so that, as shown in dotted lines, in Figs. 2 and 3, they may be swung to stand upward from the level of the main plane, and they are movable up and down By inounting them to swing above the level of the main plane, they present surfaces against bodies of air not available to ailerons that swing only below the level of the main plane, and by swinging one above and the other below the main plane, act to level the craft since one exerts pressure at its side of the craft to rock it upward at that side, and the other exerts pressure at its side to rock the craft downward at such side. In some conditions only one need be used. \Vhen swung up above the level of the main plane, its own depressing effect is aided by the diminution of the horizontal air-engaging surface, which results by reason of the opening of the notch in the main plane in which the aileron is'located. Tv hen the tapering, obliquely hinged aileron of Fig. 5

is used, it acts by reason of its obliquity, when swung up or down in a way similar to the obliquely hinged leveling rudders when swung up or down.

My invention is applicable to aircraft or flying machines of any number of planes.

I claim 2- 1. An airplane having a main plane, a centrally located vertically tiltable plane forward of the main. plane, vertically niovable tips at the sides of the main plane, a tail plane, two vertically nu *able horizontal rudders situated at the rear of the tail plane and at opposite sides thereof, said tips and said horizontal rudders being tapering with their widest parts outermost. and the axis on which each of the horizontal rudders tilts extending laterally outward and forward.

Q. an air plane having a forward niain plane, a. vertically tiltable plane forward of the central part thereof, tips that are hinged to the main plane on transverse axes, and are tapering with their widest part outern'iost, a. tail plane, a vertical rudder, and two horizontal rudders on opposite sides of the vertical rudder, and hinged each on a horizontal axis that inclines outward and forward.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK D. SHEPHERD. 

